Feeler-controlled filling replenishing mechanism



July 30, 1935. J. M. TUTEN 2,009,864

FEELER CONTROLLED FILLING REPLENISHING MECHANISM Filed Nov. '7, 1934 2 Sheets-Sheet l INVENTOR.

BYM%IM C/ m/To/v J. Cosme/v.

ATTORNEY.

July 30, 1935. J. M. TUTr-:N 2,009,864

FEHLER CONTROLLED FILLING REPLIEIISI'HIJCY` MECHANISM v 5' Filed Nov. v, 1954 2 sheets-sheet 2 INVNTOR. dfi/'IE5 f7. 757th'.

CL//yTo/v Coaue/v. BY

ATTORNEY.

Patented July 30, 1935 unassirPA-TENT orner4 FEELER-CONTRLLED FILLING REPLEN- ISHING MECHANISM James Manel' Tuten, Hopedale, )Mass., assigner to Draper' Corporation poration of Maine Hopedale, Mass., a cor- Application November 7, V1934, Serial No. 751,893

7 Claims;

The present invention pertains to automatic iilling replenishing looms of the feeler type and has e particular reference to the means or mecha-mmv contrclledby the' feeler for initiating the replenishing operation. Y f

In looms of the type mentioned, a filling feeler operates to detect substantial eanaustion of the filling supply in the shuttle and to thereupon move a part into the path oi a' moving Weit hamlhe partis connected with a train of mechanism which, upon movement of the part by the weit hammer, initiates the replenishing operation. The part which is thus engaged by the weil' hammer has been constructed so that it aut natically occupies its inoperative position, out oi the ps of the weft hammer, unless actively held in such path by or through the operation oi the feeler. Y

The weft hammer commonly performs an additional function, as the operation 'of the stopping mechanism under control of a filling fork, and'under some conditionsit cannot be timed tol properly cooperate with both mechanisms. Usually, the forli mechanism requires a timing of the weft hammer which is too early to insure engagement of the latter with the feeler controlled part before vthe part is allowed by the eeler to return to inoperative position.

it is further noted that, particularly with side :'A slipping feelers on high speed looms, the feeler may detect and indicate substantial exhaustion of the lilling supply but the indication be lost before the weit hammer engages the ieeler-controlled part, even though the weft hammer is properly l End that this failure of the mechanism due to the faulty operation of tle feeler blade. That is, when the ieeler blade is struck by the rapidly moving, but decelerating, filling carrier the blade may Vslip sideWise-.and also, simultaneously, be thrown forwardly 'away from the filling carrier. Thisallows the feelei blade to immediately right itself and thus to move the feeler controlled part out of the path ofv the weft hammer before Ireplenshment is actually initiated.

It is an object of the present invention to provide, in a loom having a weft hammer and 'a part movable into the path of the weft hammer upon substantial exhaustion of the filling sup-ply, a latch means operable to retain suchlpart in the path of the weft hammer independently of its moving means, and means for releasing the latch only when said part is engaged and moved by the weft hammer.

Further objects will be hereinafter more spe- (ci. 13a-269) the description proceeds.

The preferred embodiment oi the invention is illustrated on the accompanying drawings, of which: l l i Fig. l is a perspective View of the feeler end of a loo-m containing said embodiment;

Fig, 2 a detail, in plan; l

Fig. 3 is an elevation, partly in section on line 3-3 -of Fig. l Vbut showing the parts as they 'appear during the replenishing operation; and

fi is a cross-sectional View taken approximately on line l-fl, Fig. 3, but showing the parts as they appear after a replenishing operation is completed.

The loom to which my invention has been applied is conventional in many respects and accordingly is butfragmentarily illustrated. There is shown, of the old parts, a lay I which is adapted to reciprocate toward and from t -e iront of the loom, a shuttle boX '22 at theY left hand end of the lay, a shuttle 3 which is adapted to bc picked along the lay as by picker stick li, an automatically ejectable bobbin 5, and a portion of the frame work as loom side t and breast beam 'I. f l

There is also shown a conventional moving weft hammer 8 which has an arm 9 cooperating with the illing fork mechanism iii and an arm l! cooperating with other parts, to be described, for effecting lling replenishment; The weit hammer preferably reci:l ccates toward and from the iront of the loom, which is toward and from the breast beam, making one complete reciprocation for each two picks and starting its forward movement slightly before the lay reaches iront center on one of such picks.

Replenishment is effected through movement oi a member, such as slide I2, which is pivotally secured to the upper end of an arm I 3 on the usual replenishing rod id. A part I5 is movably mounted on the member i2 so as to be normally out of the path of the weit hammer. The part may, however, be moved so that its arm I6 intercepts the shoulder `I'I (Fig. 4) kon the arm II whereby the part and member are bodily moved forwardly by the weft hammer, to thereby effect filling replenishment. j

The part I5 may be mounted for movement, as aforesaid, by being pivoted on a pin I3 carried by an ear on the slide member l2. yThe s` cie movable part I 5 shown is particularly adapted. for movement by a rod I9 which extends widthwise of the loom and has one end engaged into the part I5 While its other end cooperates with the side-slipping feeler blade 20 of a filling feeler 2l. Slipping of the feeler blade serves to move the rod I9 endwise (toward the right, Fig. 4) and thereby swing the arm I6 into the path of the weft hammer.

As is above noted, prior mechanisms of the type herein involved have been so constructed as to require that the feeler hold the movable feeler controlled part in the path of the weft hammer until the latter actually engages such part. The present invention provides a latch which is operative to hold the part I5 with its arm I 6 in the path of the weft hammer. The latch is so operative immediately upon movement of the part, independently of subsequent movements of the feeler, and independent of the timing of the weft hammer.

The latch shown 'on the drawings consists simply of a fiat spring 22 having one end fixed to the member'I2 as by a screw 23 and having its other end free and biased to engage in the notches 24 and 25 in the part I5. During the normal operation of the loom, when the part I5 occupies the position of Fig. 4, the spring engages notch 2B. However, a side-slipping of the feeler blade, even of very short duration, will result in the spring engaging in notch 25 and automatically locking the part in replenishing position. Y

It is required that means be provided for automatically releasing the latch to allow the part I5 to return tov inoperative position. The means herein provided for this purpose is operative only when the member I2 actually moves forwardly to effect replenishment. This releasing means may consist simply of a rigid finger 26 having its forward end fixed to the breast beam as by a bolt 2l and having its rearward end free and bent so as to incline downwardly and rearwardly beneath the spring 22. When the member I2 (and thereby the spring) are moved forwardly by the weft hammer the spring rides up on the finger and is thereby released from the notch 25. The spring is so held until the weft hammer starts its rearward movement, whereupon the overbalancng weight of arm I6 returns the part I5 to its normal or inoperative position.

The mechanism constructed as above described is not subject to the disadvantages of prior constructions. That is, the weft hammer can be timed late and still properly initiate filling replenishment, and even if the feeler fails to hold its indication as long as it should there will be no failure of replenishment.

Having fully disclosed the preferred embodiment of my invention, I claim:

l. In a filling replenishing loom, a weft hammer, a member which is movable for effecting filling replenishment, a part carried by said member and movable into and out of the path of said weft hammer, means for moving said part into said path upon substantial exhaustion of the filling supply, a latch operating automatically upon movement of said part into said path to engage and retain the same therein, and means operable only upon replenishing movement of said member to release said latch.

2. In a filling replenishing loom, a weft hammer reciprocating forwardly and rearwardly once for each two picks of the loom, a member movable forwardly by said weft hammer for effecting filling replenishment, a part adapted to be interposed between said weft hammer and said member for causing the latter to be operated by the former, means for positioning said part between the weft hammer and member upon substantial depletion of the filling supply, a movable latch automatically engageable with said part for locking the same in said position, and means operable only upon forward movement of said member to release said latch.

3. In a filling replenishing loom, a filling feeler operable at a predetermined point in the loom cycleVv to detect substantial exhaustion of the filling supply, a member adapted to be moved forwardly for effecting filling replenishment, a forwardly and rearwardly moving weft hammer, a part carried by said member and movable thereon, means controlled bysaid filling feeler for moving said part into the path of said weft hammer, a latch on said member for locking said part in said path, said weft hammer engaging said part subsequent to the operation of said feeler, and means operable only upon forward movement of said member to release said latch.

4. In a filling replenishing loom, a weft hammer, a member which is movable for effecting filling replenishment, a part pivoted to said member for movement into and out of the path of said weft hammer, a filling feeler and connections therefrom for swinging said part into said path upon substantial exhaustion of the filling supply, a latch carried by said member and latching said part in said path, and a fixed finger engaging and releasing said latch upon replenishing movement of said member.

5. In a filling replenishing loom, a weft hammer, a slide member connected to effect filling replenishment when moved by said weft hammer, a part pivoted to said member for movement into and out of the path of said weft hammer, a filling feeler and connections therefrom for swinging said part into said path upon substantial exhaustion of the filling supply, a latch comprised of a spring fixed to said member and engaging said part for holding the same in said path, and a fixed finger engaging said spring and releasing the same from said part only upon replenishing movement of said member.

6. In a filling replenishing loom, a side-slipping iilling feeler, a rod extending widthwise of the loom and movable endwise by said feeler upon substantial exhaustion of the filling supply, a weft hammer, a part movable by said rod into the path of said weft hammer and bodily movable by the latter for effecting filling replenishment, a movable latch for engaging and holding said part in said path, and means operable only after engagement of the part by the weft hammer for releasing said latch.

'7. In a filling replenishing loom, a side-slipping filling feeler, a rod extending Widthwise of the loom and movable endwise by said feeler upon substantial exhaustion of the filling supply, a weft hammer, a slide member movable to effect filling replenishment, a part pivoted to said member for movement by said rod into the path of said weft hammer, a latch on said member for holding said part in said path, and a fixed finger for engaging and releasing said latch only upon replenishing movement of said member. JAMES MANER TUTEN. 

